Legend of the Dogwood Tree

This legend fascinates me. Although there is no historical verification, it's a widely held view, that the tree chosen for Jesus’ crucifixion was a Dogwood tree. The petals of its flowers grow in the shape of the cross, each bearing the reddish mark of a rusty nail.

The legend told of why the Dogwood does not grown tall or even straight is best described in a poem by an unknown author.



The Legend of the Dogwood

(author unknown)

In Jesus’ time,
the dogwood grew
to a stately size
and a lovely hue.

‘Twas strong and firm
it’s branches interwoven,
for the cross of Christ
its timbers were chosen.

Seeing the distress
at this use of their wood
Christ made a promise
which still holds good:

“Never again shall the dogwood grow
Large enough to be used so.

Slender and twisted it shall be
with blossoms like the cross for all to see.

As blood stains the petals marked in brown,
the blossom’s center wears a thorny crown.

All who see it will remember Me
crucified on a cross
from the dogwood tree.

Cherished and protected,
this tree shall be.
A reminder to all of my agony.”

Quick Chicken Tikka Masala

I really enjoy some Indian flavors and this was delicious, fast and easy to make. The original recipe didn't have the sugar snap peas in it, but I thought it was add some color and some crunch. I used chicken from a rotisserie chicken that I bought at Costco, but you could easily use boneless, skinless chicken breast, you would just add them with the onion. I had mine by itself but you could serve it with rice, flat bread or naan. Let me know what you think. A Vorte Sante!


Ingredients:

4 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2-3 cups diced cooked chicken breast
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 teaspoons minced fresh ginger or 2 tsp ground ginger
1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
3 cups sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
1/3 cup half and half
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish optional

Preparation:
Stir together garam masala, salt and turmeric in a small dish (and ginger if you're using dried). Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion and ginger (if you're using fresh) and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add snap peas. Add the spice mix and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a simmer, stir in half and half. Add the chicken. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with rice, flat bread or naan.

The longest 10 days of my life...

First off, thank you for those who have prayed for us. It's been a V E R Y long 10 days.

As many of you know, my daughter Jade had a bit of a breakdown and was in the hospital. It's unclear at this point if she will return to school at LMU. Today was the beginning of the process...

I'm not sure I believe the quote by Mother Teresa "I know God won’t give me more than I can handle, I just wish He didn’t trust me so much!” It's one thing to go through things like this yourself but an entirely different thing to watch one of your kids go through it.

I know I need lots of prayer, grace and beauty to get through this, I just haven't found time yet for any of that. I'll keep you posted as to how we're doing.

Ciao.